Welcome to the 2012 Virginia Art and Soul Artist Interview Blog hop.
Today I am lucky enough to have Lynne Suprock to introduce you to.
Lynne is teaching Metal Chapter books at Art & Soul. and they are just beautiful.
As a self taught artist, Lynne began Simply Pretty Stuff in 2007 by designing charms and tiaras for local shoppes and charity. From 2007 to 2011 Lynne designed and made charms and ornaments for The StoryPeople. She currently teaches soldering techniques to individuals and groups at a local studio in Gettysburg, PA and loves to attend shows as a vendor and teaches workshops on the East Coast. Her pins were featured in Belle Armoire Jewelry Magazine and she will also have an upcoming feature on rings in the same magazine as well.
So Lynne..........
Where do you get your inspiration?
I have always been a people watcher …..always, always, always. If I could afford the luxury of time, I would spend more actual research hours at the airport, in a coffee shoppe, or in Grand Central Station doing just that.
So, I guess I can say that people inspire me; what they say in a day, what they wear, how they walk or talk to their children or their pets. I choose a person or two and allow my imagination to design a pin, ring, tiara, etc. for them. Of course, the kind of media I use places my magic into perspective and sets parameters back in the studio.
The other place I find inspiration is in the world of little things. Dusty, little glittery things from my childhood inspire me. Portobello Road inspires me. Lots of itsy bitsy glitter and little things there! The most special of my finds, fit into my pockets for the flight back home.
After Art, What Else Is Your Passion?
Hmmm… Telling people what to do…hehehe. Honestly, I do find passion helping others to learn whatever it is they want to learn. I also really love to write. To expand my horizons and to earn extra income, I was a local feature writer for The York Sunday News, a York and Adams County, PA newspaper. Loved that.
What a lot of people don’t know about me is that being an artist is actually my second career. I have a Master’s in Science degree and had published in health care journals and taught clinical and classroom nursing until 2007. I was used to the organization and structure that went with the profession. I also acquired and finely honed the skills needed to deal with those daily life and death situations. Back in the classroom or in the clinical setting, I was excited to impart that knowledge to the students.
Perhaps it is both nursing assessment skills and teaching experience that dovetails nicely with designing or teaching my art and art techniques. Teaching allows me to be free and true to myself in many ways.
What aspect of teaching do you love the most?
I love that the students are diverse. They can be anyone of these: novice and in an art class for the first time, looking to express their inner selves, wanting to learn new technique or tools, or just wanting to meet others with like minds and go home with something cool! It is amazing to hear students share their own stories of their artistic journeys.
I also love that art itself is so diverse. You can use one media, or mix the media. You can invent a new technique or pull from others and use their wisdom in a new way. No one owns art, and creativity is not exclusive. We each bring our own twist and turn to the artists and creative media that came before us. Teaching helps to nurture imagination of the new artist and is a good way to pass the baton.
What is one “key” to creativity or personal discovery would you like to share?
One thing that has taken me three or so years to realize is that there is no wrong way to create art. Art is expression that begins within. We get inspired to create, but how we do it depends on our imagination, our stash of available supplies, and how well we can manipulate our tools. There is no real failure in my work, but there is always room for improvement, which can give birth to more complicated pieces or new designs completely.
To see more of Lynne's work have a look at her blog and website.
Remember to leave a comment letting us know where you get your inspiration and you go into the draw to win a fantastic goody pack by Artistic Artifacts. Comments are open until 6th of February 2012.
PS make sure to visit the next blog tomorrow Leslie Brier another fantastic teacher at Art and Soul this year.
